Garment support



Sept. 22, 1931. w, 5 LAPWQRTH 1,824,556

GARMENT. SUPPORT Filed July 15, 1931 lnve nTon Win ie\d S. Lopwofl h M kW ATTys.

Patented Sept. 22, 1931 PATENT OFFICE WINFIELD s. LAPWORTH, or HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS GARMENT SUPPORT Application filed July 15, 1931.. Serial. no. 550,829.

This invention relates to detachable fasteners for securing hosiery, garments or other fabrics in a desired position.

In the construction of garment fasteners heretofore used it has beene'ndeavored to produce such a fastener which would be simple in construction quickly and easily se curedto the garment or released therefrom and many variations of design have been employed to reduce the possibility of damage to the garment or the. fabric. The latter characteristic is of much importance at the present time inasmuch as the hosiery and other garments worn by women are exceed l5 ingly delicate. v Muchofthe damage resulting from an improperly constructed fastening device is due to, the relatively sharp edges of the metal parts employed in their structure and to the unavoidably harsh clampingaction of such metal. The object of the present invention is pri marily to provide a fastening device which is positive in its gripping action and which will not injure the most delicate fabric.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastening device in which the clamping engagement with the garment or fabric supported thereby is proportional to the stress acting to separate the fastener from the garment. A further object of the inventionfis to provide anefiicient fastener which contains no spring devices or which employs no harsh mechanical means to engage the garment or the fabric.

Afurther object of the invention is to pro? vide a fastening device which is simple and durable in structure andwhich may be'm'anufactured and assembled at a minimum of cost.

The invention may be described briefly as comprising a fiat rigid clamping framein which are a series of transversely disposed slots through which a supporting tape-is threaded in such amanner as to present a clamping socket which is formed by portions of the tape and is accessible through one oftheapertures'in the clamping frame. The tape is threaded desirably throu h the 53 clamping member-in such a manner that member such as the usual elastic band which encirclesthe calf ofthe leg in the case of a gentlemans hosiery support or an elastic '5 band whichniay be secured to another garment worn about the hips as in the case of a womans hose supporter.

Cooperating with the clamping frame is a locking member having one or more transverse slots at one end thereof through which the tape is threaded and upon which the locking member may have relative movement longitudinally of the clamping frame. The other end fof the locking member pref- Q erably is offset slightly and adapted to be inserted in the clamping socket, and which acts to secure a portion of the area of the garment or fabric to be supported in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. 'As will hereinafter appear the stress acting to separate the-garment or fabric from its fastening device functions to clamp the garment securely in the clampin socket.

In the drawings: c Fig. 1 is a view of the locking member .detached from it's'cooperating elements. I Fig. 2 is a view of the clamping frame detached from its other elements.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the fastening device showing the parts in the position they assume before they are attached to the garment or fabricl Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the fastening device showing tire parts insthe position they assume when securing the ga -rment or fabric. i Fig. 5"is a general view of the device as applied to a gentlemans hosiery supporter.

The principles of the invention may be practiced in any suitable manner within the spirit and scope of the claims. In order to presentv aclear and accurate conception of the invention, a particular embodiment is disclosed herein which comprises a clamping 9 frame '1 which is made desirably of sheet metal, but may be constructed ofany sheet material having a rigid or semi-rigid character. The clamping frame 1 is provided with i a plurality of transverse slots 2, 3 and 4.

The number of slots may be varied according to the particular requirements, but the number of slots, however, is immaterial. The three slots herein shown have been found to be a convenient number for the particular embodiment herein illustrated. The clamping frame 1 forms a rigid core around which the flexible supporting and clamping means is threaded. The flexible clamping and supporting means is desirably in the formof a tape 5 which is endlessly threaded through the slots in the supporting frame 1 having its free ends 6 secured to an anchoring member 7 which is adapted to encircle the leg of the wearer.

The tape 5 is threaded through the supporting frame 1 in the following manner. One end of the tape is inserted downwardly through the slot 3 and drawn approximately one half of its length therethrough. This end of the tape is then passed upwardly through the slot 2 from where it is passed around the lower end 8 of the frame and along the under surface thereof, and up wardly through the slot 3 and again downwardly through the slot 4, the remaining portion of the tape extending to the anchoring member 7. The remaining unthreaded portion of the tapeis carried downwardly across the lower end 3 of the frame and along the back thereof where it is secured by stitching 9 to the other portion of the tape at a point adjacent the upper end of the frame 1. he remaining portion of this end of the tape extends from the stitching 9 to the anchoring member 7. ther means may be employed for assembling these elements to obtain a similar result. I

A locking member 10 is provided with transverse slots 11 at one end and an offset locking portion 12 at its other end. The upper run of the tape extending from the stitches 9 to the anchoring member 7 is threaded through the slots 11 in the locking member. When the fastening device is disengaged from the garment or fabric to be supported, the locking member 10 is movable freely longitudinally of the clamping frame 1. The particular method of threading the tape 5 through the frame 1 provides access through the slot 3 to a point between the two portions 1 1 and 15 of the tape which are forced firmly into contact by a stress tending to move the frame 1 to the left in Fig. 3, which stress is resisted by the tape 5 which is secured to the anchoring member 7. This clamping action of the portions 14 and 15 of the tape 5 exists because of the free movement of all portions of the tape 5 relatively to the frame 1. A tension existing in any one portion of the tape 5 will be transmitted to all other portions of the tape.

. The invention is adapted'to secure in position a garment of substantially any character. As a specific illustration of the use longitudinally toward the end 8 of the clamping frame 1 which carries the stocking with it downwardly between the pertions 14 and, 15 of the tape 5 as shown in Fig. 4:.

hen the stocking 13 has been forced into the clamping socket and the parts have assumed the position indicated in Fig. 4, a firm union between the stocking and the fastener is established.

ments, various forces are set up within the fastener acting to resist such separation. lVhen a force is applied tending to withdraw the stocking from the fastener the offset end of the locking member 10 tends to move longitudinally upward relatively to the clamping frame 1. Such movement operates to clamp the stocking 13 between the shoulders 16 located at the junction of the offset portion 12 and the main portion of the locking member 10 with the edge 17 of the slot 3 in the clamping frame 1. Such action operates to clamp the stocking between the shoulders 16 and the edge 17 with a force proportional to the force tending to separate the stocking from the fastener. The upper end of the locking member 10 is prevented from having lateral movement by reason of its connection with the tape 5 which is under tension when a stress is acting to separate the stocking from its fastener.

When the stocking is forced into the fastener the portion 15 of the'tape is displaced laterally from a straight line as best seen in Fig. 4:. When a stress acts upon the tape the resulting tension therein causes the displaced portion 15 to be drawn into engagement with theofi'set portion 12 of the locking member 10 carrying the stocking 13, and clamp it firmly against the portion 14 of the tape. This clamping action will be proportional also to the stress acting to separate the stocking from the When a force is applied tending to separate these two elelbs Lav

of sufficient intensity onlyto counteract the tension in the stocking.

A very important and practical feature of the fastener is the absence of sharp edged parts of metal or other hard material to engage with and abrase the garment. The only part which contacts with the stocking is the offset end of the locking member which is rounded carefully and smoothed to prevent damage to the stocking. All other surfaces which contact with the stocking are cushioned by the presence of the tape 5. is within the scope of the invention to pad the end of the locking member in any suitable way if it be found necessary. While such procedure would not interfere with the proper action of the device, it is most probable that such structure would not be found DGCGSS ary.

fastener.

In order to clearly illustrate the invention, the thickness of the individual elements of the device are much exaggerated as aresult of which the total thickness of the parts as shown in Fig. 4: is :greatly out of proportion. The article as actually constructed under the principles of the invention is very thin and fiat when in its adjusted position. It is sufficiently thin so as to cause practically no visible projection beneath a womans clothing of the most delicate material thus adding greatly to the smartness and neatness of the wearers costume. i

The flat character of the fastener provides also a degree of comfort for the wearer never heretofore realized. The commonly used fasteners employing projecting buttons tend to press into the flesh should they accidently come in contact with a hard object. Furthermore when a woman crosses her legs such buttons press into the flesh and are extremely uncomfortable. A woman may cross her legs when wearing fasteners embodying the present invention without the slightest discomfort.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: p

1. A fastening device for securing a garment or other fabric in a desired position comprising an anchoring, member, a flat rigid clamping frame having apertures therein,- a flexible tapev threaded through said apertures embracing portions of said frame and secured to said anchoring member, said tape presenting a clamping socket accessible through one of said apertures in said frame and a locking member, slidably engaging the said tape operable tosecure a garment or other fabric to said frame by inserting one end thereof in said .clamping socket together with a portionof the area of the garment or other fabric whereby said garment or fabric will be secured'therein by in, a flexible tape threaded endlessly through said apertures in said frame having its free ends secured to said anchoring member and presenting a clamping socket accessible through one of the apertures in said frame, a locking member having one or more apertures therein through which the tapeis threaded permitting it to slide relatively to said frame and operable to secure a garment or other fabric to said frame by inserting one end thereof into said clamping socket together with a portion of the area of said garment or fabric whereby said garment or fabric will be secured therein by the clamping pressure existing between the tape, the locking member and the frame which is proportional to the stress acting to separate the garment or fabric from the fastener.

- 3. A fastening device for securing the garment or other fabric comprising an anchoring member, a flat rigid clamping frame having apertures therem, a flexible tapethreaded through said apertures in said frame embracing a portion thereof and secured to said anchoring member, said tape presenting a clamping socket accessible through one of the apertures in said clamping frame, a locking member having-slidable engagement with said tape permitting movement thereof relatively to said clamplng frame, an offsetlocking portionupon the locking member operable to secure the garment orother, fabric to said frame by inserting said oflset portion into said clamping socket together with a portion of the area of said garment or fabric whereby said garment or fabric will be secured therein by the clamping pressure existing between the tape, the locking member and the frame which is proportional to the stress acting to separate the garment from the fastener.

a. A fastening device for securing a garment or other fabric in a desired position comprising an anchoring member, a flat rigid clamping frame having three slots extending transversely thereof, a supporting tape threaded endlessly through said slots having its free ends secured to said anchoring member and presenting a clamping socket accessible through one of said slots, a locking member having apertures therein through which said tape is threaded permitting'movement thereof relatively to said clamping frame, an offset clamping portion at the end of said locking member operable to secure a garment or other fabric to said clamping frame by inserting said offset portion into said clamping socket together With a portion of the area of said garment or fabric whereby said garment will be secured therein by the clamping pressure existing between the tape, the locking member and the frame which is proportional to the stress acting to separate the garment or fabric from the fastener.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

VVINFIELD S. LAPWORTH. 

